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A worker was extricated from chest-deep mud after a trench collapsed at the Second Avenue subway construction project. According to a March 19 CBS New York news report, the worker was trapped 75 to 100 feet below grade level in a block-long trench.

Trapped 75 to 100 feet below grade level in a block-long trench, it took 30 firefighters more than three hours to free the worker from the mud and get him to the surface.

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A subway construction worker was seriously injured after he was caught in a wet, muddy trench at the underground worksite. According to a March 19 CBS New York news report, the worker was hoisted out of the subway trench at Second Avenue and 95th Street. Trapped 75 to 100 feet below grade level in a block-long trench, it took 30 firefighters more than three hours to free the worker from the mud and get him to the surface, the report stated. Two firefighters were also injured during the rescue effort and one of them suffered a broken hand, CBS News reports.

Firefighters were shoring up the unstable trench with plywood to ensure safety. The CBS report also states that the Second Avenue subway project has been the site of several problems including an underground blast at 72nd Street that sent chunks of concrete flying in the air. In that case, the MTA said steel plates at the site were not properly secured. In another incident last April, a slab of concrete crushed a worker as he worked at a trench on 86th Street, according to the article.

According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), two workers are killed every month in trench collapses. Federal law requires employers to provide "a workplace free of recognized hazards that may cause serious injury or death." OSHA defines any excavation as a man-made cut, cavity, trench or depression in an earth surface that is formed by the removal of earth.

Trench cave-ins can be easily prevented by ensuring that safety procedures are followed at all times at the worksite, said New York personal injury lawyer Kenneth A. Wilhelm. "Trenches are supposed to be inspected at the start of each shift and during inclement weather. It is also important for construction managers and supervisors to ensure that heavy equipment is kept away from trench edges and that the trench is properly shored."

Trench cave-ins often result in catastrophic injuries or even fatalities, Wilhelm says. "These types of injuries can cause significant physical, emotional and financial hardships for workers and their families. It is important for a trench accident victim to obtain more information about protecting his or her rights and being justly compensated for the losses."

The Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm is a personal injury litigation firm with an unwavering dedication to its clients. With more than 41 years of experience, our firm strives to obtain the best compensation for those who have been injured or those who have lost a loved one due to an accident or by someone else's negligence. We handle cases dealing with personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, workers' compensation, dental malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, rape, paralysis, comas, seizures, false arrest, lead poisoning, trips and slips and falls, elevator accidents, construction accidents, Erb's palsy, cerebral palsy, brain damage, blindness, hearing loss, dog bite cases, fire and smoke inhalation accidents, bicycle accidents, falls from windows or scaffolds, and many other types of accidents and injuries.

Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.